Leadership

I recently conducted a webinar for a large group and had this question come up. It’s one I hear quite often, actually. I can answer it simply but realize that execution can be a bit more difficult. The results are well worth it though, so give it a try. I prescribe to the concept of […]

Creating the dynamic team of your dreams requires great communication both of expectations and of issues. Most employees will respond well to correction. They will appreciate the feedback, take it to heart and make the required changes.

Some employees, however, have no desire to change and will do whatever it takes to remain stuck where […]

Recently I was working with a client and we got talking about puzzles, believe it or not! We were discussing how he likes to work. He said he likes to have a clear endpoint for a project but the opportunity to be creative in how he gets there. He likes his work to be like a puzzle. It was such a great analogy! I asked if I could use it in an article.

Are you Monitoring Your Progress?

I talk a lot about mission. You must have a mission. Make sure your team is fired up about your mission. But missions can be huge! How do you know that you are moving towards your mission? What progress should you make each week; each month; each year?

In every relationship, including those at work, we have expectations. We expect others to act a certain way, respond to situations the way we’d like, care about the same things we care about. If you are someone who sets the bar high for yourself, chances are you also set it high for the people you share your work and life with.
The problem is

Every once in a while I run across a great read that so succinctly says what I’ve been telling my clients for years. “The Oz Principle” by Roger Connors, Tom Smith and Craig Hickman is one of them. It fires me up!
Accountability, by their definition, is not derived through punishment and consequences but rather through ownership and empowerment. Their specific definition is:

A norm is an often unstated rule that governs how people act in a group. New members of a team usually learn the norms through observation or trial and error. These norms can work for your business or against it.
Left to their own devices, teams can become toxic, aka drama-filled! An employee arrives in a bad mood. The group norm is to complain and whine about everything. Perfect! He or she fits right in! Even a new employee who starts off with high energy can get sucked in and turn sour.

This morning I was in my office early and was the first to arrive. I turned on just a few lights in adjacent hallways and suddenly found myself maneuvering down a dark path towards the back office, the light switch inconveniently located several feet behind.

I went rock climbing recently. It was a ball! I used to make time for it consistently and hope to make it more of a priority again.
I couldn’t help but think about how many analogies there are to make between climbing and leadership.